Twilight: Breaking Dawn director Bill Condon will go back to his musical roots with a new Beauty and the Beast

At least on the screen, director Bill Condon has lately moved away from the musical roots that had his “Dreamgirls” a much-talked-about movie eight years ago, and his screenplay for “Chicago” even buzzier a few years before that.

Kenneth Branagh, who has starred in and directed several Shakespeare film adaptations, including 1989's "Henry V" and 1996's "Hamlet," will direct a new live-action version of Disney's "Cinderella." Lily James will play Cinderella with Richard Madden as her prince.

Kenneth Branagh, who has starred in and directed several Shakespeare film adaptations, including 1989's "Henry V" and 1996's "Hamlet," will direct a new live-action version of Disney's "Cinderella." Lily James will play Cinderella with Richard Madden as her prince. (Disney)

"Monkey Kingdom" tells the story of survival centered on a newborn monkey and its mother. Since the duo were not born into the top of the social hierarchy of monkeys deep in the jungles of South Asia, they are forced to fend for themselves.

"Monkey Kingdom" tells the story of survival centered on a newborn monkey and its mother. Since the duo were not born into the top of the social hierarchy of monkeys deep in the jungles of South Asia, they are forced to fend for themselves. (Disneynature)

Marvel's "The Avengers: Age of Ultron" follows the Avengers as they fight U.S. government force Ultron and its attempts to turn against humanity. The Avengers include Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth), among others.

Marvel's "The Avengers: Age of Ultron" follows the Avengers as they fight U.S. government force Ultron and its attempts to turn against humanity. The Avengers include Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth), among others. (Zade Rosenthal / Marvel Studios)

Pixar's quirky "Inside Out" follows an 11-year-old girl named Riley who moves from Minnesota to San Francisco on the brink of her adolescent years. Her emotions become characters -- Anger, Disgust, Fear, Joy and Sadness. And her mind becomes the setting for them.

Pixar's quirky "Inside Out" follows an 11-year-old girl named Riley who moves from Minnesota to San Francisco on the brink of her adolescent years. Her emotions become characters -- Anger, Disgust, Fear, Joy and Sadness. And her mind becomes the setting for them. (Pixar Animation Studios)

The adventures of Jack Sparrow continue in a fifth installment, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales." The fourth film, "On Stranger Tides" became the 13th highest-grossing film worldwide.

The adventures of Jack Sparrow continue in a fifth installment, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales." The fourth film, "On Stranger Tides" became the 13th highest-grossing film worldwide. (Peter Mountain / Disney Enterprises)

The director, who spent years toiling in “Twilight"-ville with the two "Breaking Dawn" movies and then struck out with his Wikileaks story “The Fifth Estate” last year, will take on “Beauty and the Beast,” a live-action (presumably music-centric-if-not-outright-musical) remake of the 1991 animated hit that Disney began developing in early 2013. Variety had the news first, noting that Evan Spiliotopoulos, screenwriter of next month's Dwayne Johnson-starring "Hercules," is writing for “Muppets” producer Mandeville Films, though not noting this project has been around for a while with Mandeville and previously had “Trance” writer Joe Ahearne taking a crack.

The new “Beast” comes on the heels of a solid $69-million opening for “Maleficent,” the “Sleeping Beauty” spin that, because all fairy-tale movies are separated by no more than two degrees, is written by Linda Woolverton, who wrote ... the 1991 “Beauty and the Beast.”

Nostalgia is in the air elsewhere at Disney, which has a “Cinderella” movie upcoming, an "Aladdin" that's a hit on Broadway, and has also released retouched/converted takes on “Beauty” in recent years. The Condon movie will doubtless have a new spin — more than two decades later the genre has gotten a little darker — but hopefully will be a return to the director's roots.

Two of Hollywood's hottest actresses, Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o and Marvel heroine Scarlett Johansson, could be uniting for Disney's upcoming live-action and CGI hybrid adaptation of "The Jungle Book," according to the Hollywood Reporter.